


a beautiful nightmare

by Nightmare_insomnia



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: F/M, Sleeping Beauty - Freeform, adrian is a princess, fairytale AU, idk how to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25870660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightmare_insomnia/pseuds/Nightmare_insomnia
Relationships: Nova Artino | Nightmare/Adrian Everhart | Sketch
Comments: 27
Kudos: 22





	1. prologue

When Adrian was born, his mother swore that she would protect him with her life. So, when Adrian’s father died, and it was revealed that he was the King of Gatlon, and that Adrian was the heir to the throne, Georgia Rawles became the Queen of Gatlon, until her son reached 18. At her coronation, a joint celebration celebrating her rise to the throne, and the birth of the Prince, citizens from all over the kingdom were invited. Almost all of them. 

There are always villains in fairy tales. This one is no exception. 

Alec Artino was bitter. He had once been the ruler of Gatlon, the most powerful ruler to ever lead. But good rises to meet evil, and when the people had had enough, they revolted. The Renegades, a group of people with extraordinary powers dethroned the dictator, and he ran. They searched far and wide, but Alec Artino was never found and was eventually presumed dead. 

He wasn’t dead. 

A new king rose to the throne. The absence of anarchy didn’t purge all evil from the land, however. Many of Artino’s allies remained, determined to take down the new royal line and return to their former days of glory. 

And so, with those allies, he planned an invasion of the coronation. They burst in, first with a warning. He just wanted the boy. To control the heir meant he controlled the kingdom. But Queen Georgia held her baby close, shouting that he would have to go through her to get to Adrian. And so, Ace Anarchy uttered three simple words before chaos broke loose. 

“As you wish.”

The Queen shouted to her closest friends to take Adrian and run. And so they did. Hugh Everhart and Simon Westwood ran through the castle, down to the servants quarters, shoving the baby into the arms of a frightened laundress, before sprinting back up to the fight. 

The battle didn’t last long. When Hugh and Simon returned to the scene, and were met with the dead body of their friend and queen, they became an unstoppable force. Those around them that had powers rallied at their anger, and soon every last anarchist lay dead or captured. Ace struggled against his bonds, attempting to bend them with his mind, growling with his attempt at an escape. But the bonds were too tight, too complicated for even the most talented and powerful of telekinetics to undo. He glared up at Captain Chromium- Hugh Everhart-but before he could deliver his threats, his gaze latched onto someone behind the Captain. The Detonator. She grinned at him, before glancing down at her own palm, where a small blue light began to grow.  _ Trust me,  _ she mouthed at him. 

He didn’t trust her. He trusted nobody. But, even if this was all just an elaborate plan to assassinate him, it was better than remaining a hostage in the castle. So Ace merely nodded, bracing himself for the explosion to come. 

And it did. The blast sent him flying backwards. The sound of shattered glass filled his eardrums, and the last thing Alec Artino remembered, was falling.


	2. Chapter 2

Nova Artino was a weapon, and she knew it. If the Anarchists wanted someone to disappear, but not kill them, they turned to her. Nova was born with the power to send people into a deep sleep with a touch of her hand, and she loved to use it. It gave her a sense of purpose, and when she came back from her missions her uncle would always congratulate her, and remind her of her value to their group. 

Nova didn’t like living in the old cathedral at the edge of Gatlon, but she knew there was nowhere else she could go. Her uncle had told her stories of the corrupt rulers of the kingdom, and the horrible prince that would soon rise to the throne. She knew that Ace was planning revenge against those who had thrown him off of his throne all those years ago. The  _ Renegades,  _ he had told her, are bitter and corrupt, only thinking of themselves. And the prince, he’s no better. They’ve manipulated him from birth, poisoned him against the people, groomed him to rule as they wish. 

Nova couldn’t believe that a person that evil could be allowed to rise to the throne. But her uncle approached her with his plan, she agreed. She was to enter the castle, apply for a position as a servant, and learn everything she could. From there, she would determine when and where the Prince was most vulnerable, and plan her attack. An extraction team would meet her there, ready to carry the Prince off to the cathedral for blackmail. Nova had asked why they didn’t just kill him, but Ace had only shaken his head. The Renegades were too powerful, and they would retaliate if given a reason. But if one of their own was in danger, they would be compliant. That had seemed strange to Nova, who had been brought up to put herself above all others, to walk over the weak to make way for the strong, to take care of yourself above all others. For the Renegades to care so much for their prince that they would yield their power was unthinkable to an Anarchist. 

Nova remembered the beginning of the Renegades’ reign. The people idolized them, Nova among them. Her parents and sister had lived a mildly comfortable life, her father employed as a blacksmith. Nova loved to watch him work, the golden glow of the metal reflected in her fathers eyes. But as the Renegades grew in power, their enemies grew with them. Her father, as one of the most well-known blacksmiths had immediately been targeted by the villain gangs, making weapons in exchange for keeping his life. But her father was a good man and hated the work that he did for them. So he went to the Renegades, begging for help, and was promised protection. But they had failed him, and her parents were killed in front of her. Her sister. Shot. Dead. Gone. And Nova would have joined them, if not for her powers. And so, when her Uncle asked her to help his cause against the Renegades, she agreed, asking for more stories of his glory days. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Nova examined the castle from a distance. It was grander than anything she had ever seen. She imagined that the cathedral had looked like this before it began to crumble. She made her way through the market, pausing at a large mural depicting the fall of Ace Anarchy. Ace himself had told her the story hundreds of times, at her request. The story of how in an attempt to reclaim his throne from them the Renegades had slaughtered his followers and threw him out of the window to die. Nova stared bitterly at the mural, noticing how the dead bodies of the Anarchists were absent from the picture, leaving only Renegades on the floor. Typical manipulative behavior from the Renegades, as expected. People had taken to throwing rotten fruit at the faces of the Anarchists, and the sight stirred up something deep inside of Nova. She turned away from the mural, preparing to make her way to the castle gates for her interview when a small figure bumped into her. She glared at the kid, who muttered something to herself, before shoving her hands into her pockets and running away, only to knock into a different figure. The boy, his face hidden under a dark cloak, grabbed her, hauling her back towards Nova. 

“Give it back.” 

The girl squirmed, glaring at the boy as he looked at her expectantly. 

“What are you doing? Let her go.” 

“Maggie, don’t make me report you again. Although, I’m sure the stablehands would be glad to have some help cleaning out the stables.” Maggie glared at him, before reaching slowly into her pocket and pulling out a glinting piece of metal. 

Her bracelet. 

Nova snatched it from her hand, hardly registering the departure of Maggie, winding it around her wrist, snarling when she noticed the broken clasp. 

“That little brat! She broke it.” Nova stared dejectedly at the one piece of her father she had left. Perhaps she could take it to a jeweler, but she didn’t have that kind of money. 

“Let me try.” The boy stepped closer, taking her hand in one of his and winding the bracelet around her wrist with the other. He pulled out a quill, ink dripping from the end, and drew on her skin. As he blew across her wrist, the ink solidified and her bracelet fell around her wrist. She looked up at him, her brow furrowed. 

“Are you a Renegade?” Surprise flickered across his face coupled with an amused smirk. 

“You could say that. You’re not from around here, are you?”

She examined his face, contemplating whether it would be a good idea to answer his question. 

“I have to go.” She turned away, making her way back through the market towards the castle gates. A hand grabbed at her wrist, and she spun around, ready to fend off an attack. 

“Wait, at least tell me your name.” 

She pulled her wrist out of his grasp. “I’m going to be late.” As she shoved her way through the crowd she could feel his eyes following her, but she didn’t look back to confirm the feeling. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol whats editing

Nova breathed out a sigh of relief as the guards pulled the gates open, escorting her and 4 others into the castle. The hall was grand, much grander than anything Nova had ever seen. Red tapestries graced the stone walls. Pointy black Rs surrounded her as she was led through the winding hallways towards the throne room. 

The doors opened and the Renegades came into view. One large throne in the center remained empty, its place reserved for the King. Surrounding it were 5 smaller thrones, with the Renegades seated upon them. 

Nova dipped into her best curtsy, wincing as she remembered her attire. It wasn’t uncommon for women to wear pants, but she always felt considerably more awkward curtsying without a skirt to hide her legs. She straightened, meeting the eyes of Hugh Everhart as he surveyed those that stood before him. A wave of fury swept through her as she remembered the stories her father had told her about the bravery of the Captain, and how one day he had come home telling them how eager to help he had seemed. He had promised protection and he had lied. Still, Nova forced a smile to her face, giving a respectful nod to the Council. 

The Captain motioned to a page, prompting him to go out in search of the prince. Nova straightened when she heard that, eager for a glimpse of the famed prince. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Adrian didn’t want to go review new applications for help in the castle. What he wanted to do was search for the mysterious girl who didn’t answer his questions and looked at him as though she was analyzing his entire existence. So when he was interrupted in his musings by a young page requesting his presence, he did little to hide his annoyance. The page grinned in agreement, issuing a short apology but insisting that he follow him back to the castle. He glanced back and forth the whole way back desperately searching for a hint of black hair or a flash of her metal bracelet. He groaned as he remembered the scuffle with Maggie, better known as Magpie to the castle folk. She was an orphan, found as a child in a blood-splattered apartment. The Renegades had taken her in, given her work and education in the castle. She was tolerated by most, but she had been unofficially adopted by one of the boys who worked in the forges, Callum. He was always kind to her, greeting her happily every time they came across each other. Although she appeared indifferent to him, Adrian suspected that he was secretly one of her favorite people in the castle.

He knew that he ought to mention her escapades to the council, and recommend some kind of discipline, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He knew that she didn’t want to be in the castle, but she had nowhere else to go. It was only expected that she would get restless. She was still a child after all. 

His mind wandered back to the black-haired girl from the market. He had never wanted anything more in his life than to find her, except to have him mom back. He stopped in front of the mural of his mother. The sorrow he felt had faded over time to where there was a faint feeling that something was missing when he thought about it. That ache had been more frequent and more intense lately, with all the talk of him assuming the throne. He didn’t remember much of his mother, and all that he had learned was from stories told by Hugh and Simon, who were basically his parents. But the stories he heard painted a picture in his memory, and coupled with the few memories he had of her in the few years between his birth and her death he’d created an image of what his life would be like if she was alive. In his younger years he had fallen asleep imagining scenarios with his mother, but as he grew older he found that his wishes of what could never be only made him sadder. So, throughout his teenage years he would look back on the memories that he had, writing them down to ensure that he could never forget them. 

The page ran ahead of him, throwing open the doors to the throne room and announcing his presence to the Council. 

“Presenting Prince Adrian- Heir to the throne of Gatlon!” 

The people standing in front of the council turned around to pay their respects to the Prince, and a flash of black hair caught Adrian’s attention. 

It was her. 

She froze when she saw him, her mouth falling open. Her hand jumped to her bracelet, and only when the others beside her moved to bow and curtsy did she move to do the same, sinking into an awkward curtsy. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Nova didn’t know what to think. Adrian hadn’t seemed power-hungry or evil when she met him in the market. In fact, he seemed quite the opposite. There was a sense of warmth and kindness in his eyes that gave her an overwhelming sensation of safety. She rose from her curtsy, squinting at him, searching for any of the dreadful qualities Ace had described to her countless times. 

The Captain cleared his throat, and Nova spun around at attention, eager to put her plan into action. He confirmed each of their names, and Nova almost rolled her eyes as the Captain called her fake name. 

“Nova McLain?” Did she look Scottish? She nodded and heard a quiet cough from behind her as Adrian reacted to her name. She almost spun around to glare at him, but resisted, for the council would find her actions to be in poor taste. She needed this position more than she wanted to let on. Not just for their plan, but for her Uncle to be proud of her. He paid more attention to her after she was successful, and Nova had been badgering him for years to let her into their strategy meetings, but he always said she was too young. Her Uncle was all she had, and she craved any type of approval from him. 

“Any special abilities?” The first three contestants shook their heads, and when their gazes turned to Nova she simply stated, “I don’t sleep.”

A guard behind Blacklight scoffed. Nova turned towards the noise, as did Adrian. 

“Do you have something to share, Frostbite?” Adrian’s voice rang out clean and clear across the throne room. 

“No, Your Highness. Just that, well, not much of a superpower, is it? The rest of us don’t sleep for 16 hours of the day.” 

“Miss. McLain, could you elaborate?” Nova jumped as the Prince addressed her directly, staring intently at her face. 

She gave him a wary look. “I don’t sleep. Ever.” 

“Never… ever… ever?” 

Nova bit back a groan. “Never ever, ever,  _ ever. _ ” 

He chuckled, seemingly satisfied with her answer. 

The guard from before cleared her throat again. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, we have no way of knowing that she’s telling the truth.” 

“Why would she lie? And if she was lying, why wouldn’t she pick, you know, a more super superpower?” Nova wasn’t sure why he was defending her. She threw a questioning glance his way, but he just shrugged and turned back to the Council. 

“If she doesn’t sleep, she could be useful. More hours to work. She could learn different posts, work at night, even learn to be a guard and take night shifts. Do you know anything about combat?” He questioned, his eagerness surprising her. And the council, by the looks of it. 

“I can fight well with many different types of weapons and am proficient at hand to hand combat.” Her declaration was followed by another scoff from Frostbite. 

Nova wanted nothing more than to shove the javelin the guard held in her hand up her ass and be done with this whole affair, but she had a plan to carry out. 

The Council was whispering among themselves, Adrian listening from the side. He spoke to the Captain, who nodded and cleared his throat. 

“A duel, Miss. McLain, against one of the King’s Guard. Do you accept the duel?”

“You can always back out,” Genissa sneered. “I’m sure we can find a place for you elsewhere in the castle, more suited to one of your… position. Perhaps… cleaning?” She turned to Nova, a grin swallowing her face, and filling Nova with rage. 

Nova simply gave her a sweet smile back, before turning to face the council, locking eyes with Adrian. 

“I accept the duel.”


	4. Chapter 4

Adrian stared in awe as Nova, armed only with a small knife, per her request, held her own against Gargoyle, the opponent of choice. Nova hadn’t cared which she fought, so, Genissa, her smug grin still prominent on her face, had suggested Gargoyle, one of the oldest and best trained among the guard. Adrian had begun to protest, worried for Nova’s safety against the large man, but she had only shrugged and asked for a weapon to defend herself. 

“I assumed we weren’t allowed to bring weapons to the castle, but as my claim of being able to handle a variety of weaponry is being challenged, it seems only fair that I’m given something to defend myself with.” 

“Gargoyle, as her opponent, you may confirm or deny her request.” 

A low chuckle emerged from Gargoyle. “Why not. It won’t make a difference.” 

The Captain asked Nova for her weapon of choice, and Nova simply shrugged, requesting a knife. 

Frostbite scoffed from her corner. “A knife won’t even pierce his armor.”

Captain Chromium sent a disapproving glare her way. “Genissa, would you do the honors?” 

Grinning, a small ice dagger appeared in Genissa’s hands, of her own creation. She tossed the dagger at Nova who winced as the cold material burned her hands. She tucked the handle into the waistband of her trousers. 

“Try to keep the bloodshed to a minimum, any loss of life will be punished. First to knock the other to the ground wins. Miss. Mclain, if you are victorious, you will join the Renegades.” 

________________________________________________________________________________ 

Gargoyle had been a difficult opponent, and Nova wasn’t used to having an audience. Every time it looked like one of them would succeed the crowd around them gasped. Nova took a second to glance up at Adrian, who was staring at her intently, a mixture of surprise and admiration on his face. He caught her watching him and gave her a subtle nod of encouragement. 

Nova knew that she couldn’t beat him with force, but Gargoyle was slow and clumsy in his armor. If she could trip him, or get him off balance, he could easily be beaten. Nova ran at him, sliding down beside him to avoid his hands grasping at her. She drove her ice dagger into the skin behind his knee, through the crack in his armor. He howled in pain, lunging at her, but Nova quickly sprang out of the way, coming up behind him to kick his legs out from under him. As he fell to the floor, Nova planted a foot on his back, glancing up at the spectators, her eyes shining. 

From behind the Captain, Thunderbird stood, her wings folding out behind her. “Welcome to the Renegades, Insomnia.” 

Nova blinked in confusion. “Insomnia?” Not exactly Nightmare, but it was as good as any other.

“We all have codenames. Sketch, at your service. Welcome to the Renegades.” Adrian gave her a little bow, earning him a discouraging cough from the Council. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” She gave him another curtsey, giving him a confused look. 

“Adrian. Call me Adrian. Please.” 

“Adrian...” He turned, the entire council looking at him in disapproval. The Captain, having delivered the quiet reprimand, gave him a stern look and continued, “We’ll talk later.” 

Adrian shrugged turning back to Nova. Her confusion continued to grow. He flashed her a brilliant smile. “How about a tour?” 

“I- okay?” 

He grabbed Nova by the wrist, just like he had earlier that day at the market, and began pulling her out the door. 

“Don’t you have to finish the other interviews? The Council seemed pretty adamant that you be there. I’m sure someone else could show me around.”

“They can handle it. Plus, I like to get to know my guards. Some of them, at least.”

Nova scoffed. “I take it you’re not a big fan of Frostbite?” 

He grinned. “Not in the slightest. But the Council insisted. They’re very good at what they do, and are some of the most experienced among the force.” 

“You’re the prince, shouldn’t you have the final say? Besides, you’ll be 18 soon, right? You’re practically the King already.”

He shrugged. “I never really wanted to be the King. Or the Prince. I didn’t even know my father. And I think my mom knew that, and she made sure that if anything happened to her I would be in good hands. Although the Council isn’t perfect, I think they do a pretty good job. I’d honestly rather things stay how they are, everyone is used to it.”

His words sent Nova’s brain into a frenzy when she remembered what her uncle had told her. He had told her that the Prince was power-hungry, caring little for the lives of those around him, but every interaction with him proved her uncle to be more and more wrong. Still, she had a duty, and even if Adrian wasn’t as bad as her uncle had painted him to be, the Renegades were still in the way. 

“So, what do you want to see first?” Nova jolted back to reality, and for the first time, she realized that Adrian still had his fingers wrapped around her wrist. She gently pulled away, before looking around and sighing. 

“Everything.”

________________________________________________________________________________

Adrian had met a lot of people in his life. Some were kind, gentle, and caring, others were malicious and greedy. Some were in the middle. But never before had he met someone who confused him as much as Nova Mclain did. She didn’t recognize him at the market, and when he revealed that he was a Renegade she had narrowed her eyes and refused to answer any of his questions. But, here she was, joining their ranks. If she disapproved of them, then why was she here? And now, after defeating one of their highest ranked guards, she stood before him, impossibly eager to learn about the castle. She asked dozens of questions, examining everything, pointing out the things that she found interesting, or ways that things could be improved. He learned that she loved to invent things, and have made a variety of weapons for herself. He learned that she liked physics, and loved to experiment with energy and mechanics. When she opened her mouth to ask another question he turned to her. 

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Her mouth hung open, a look of genuine surprise flashing across her face. She slowly closed her mouth, her face clearing as she deadpanned, “Sleep.” 

Her face was so serious that Adrian couldn’t help laughing. A something spread across her face, a mixture of humor and hurt, and her face reddened. 

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just- you really can’t sleep?” 

“I don’t like lying. Of course I don’t sleep. Is it really that hard to believe?” 

________________________________________________________________________________

“I’ve never heard of anyone else having power over sleep, except Nightmare.” Nova tensed. Was it really that rare? Had he made the connection already? Would she be escorted to the dungeon and locked up for the rest of her love, or would they kill her on the spot? 

“I don’t exactly have power over sleep,” she began carefully. “I just don’t need it.”

He shrugged. “Still, it’s interesting.” 

Once he had turned away, leading her down towards the kitchens, as he claimed, Nova allowed herself to relax. She was safe. He hadn’t figured anything out. She let out the breath she hadn’t noticed that she was holding. Adrian Everhart may not have been the villain she thought he was, but she still had a goal. And she would see that goal through until the end, no matter what it took. 


	5. Chapter 5

Nova was given a small room in the guard’s quarters. She didn’t have much to put there, but she stuck her bag of clothes in the closet and spread her inventions and materials across the bed. From there she was led to the mess hall, where she was shown around and introduced to the other guards. Two particularly friendly guards came up to her and took her under their wings. Ruby and Oscar. Red Assassin and Smokescreen to the public. Nova tensed as she recognized them. She had been dressed as Nightmare, sneaking through the city at night for supplies, when they had stopped her, demanding answers and that she turn herself in. Nova, already exhausted from the fight, had laughed and had driven her power through them. Not enough to be permanent, but they would be feeling very well rested when they finally woke up. Although Oscar walked with a cane and Ruby had been cut by one of Nova’s throwing stars, they were difficult opponents. They clearly trusted each other completely, and seemingly worked together without talking. 

But they didn’t recognize her, only asked her trivial questions about her life and how she learned to fight so well. The news of Gargoyle’s defeat had clearly spread quickly, and Nova could feel dozens of pairs of eyes following her as she moved about the hall, whispers filling the air. She saw Gargoyle from across the hall, him and his small group glaring at her. She smiled sweetly at him and gave the table a little wave, before rolling her eyes and turning away. 

“Don’t pay attention to them. They’re just jealous that you could beat up every person in this room.” Oscar gave her a light punch on the arm, grinning at her. “I heard that Adrian was quite captivated with you.” 

Nova blushed and shrugged. “He’s just friendly. I”m sure he just wanted to make sure I felt at home here.” 

Ruby and Oscar shared a look. “Sure… He didn’t do that when either of us joined, nor have I heard of him doing so for anyone else.” 

Nova opened her mouth to respond, but before she could respond, the door opened and the guards snapped to attention. Adrian stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets and a brilliant smile on his face. Nova felt her heart turn over in her chest and immediately pushed down whatever traitorous feelings emerged. Adrian wasn’t for her. He was royalty, she was a spy sent to take him out. No matter how friendly he was, and how safe he may have made her feel, he was her enemy and her target. Not her friend. 

Adrian’s eyes searched the room, finally landing on Nova. He grinned again, making his way over. Oscar gave her a little nudge forward, and Nova tripped, stumbling into Adrian. He caught her, holding her up as her face flamed and she pulled away, dropping into a small curtsy. “Sorry, Your Majesty.” 

“Adrian. I told you to call me Adrian. Hey Oscar, Ruby.” He nodded to each of them in turn. 

“I see you’ve already become acquainted with our newest recruit. Don’t scare her away, okay? We need her.” He joked. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Besides, we can all see how much you like her.” Adrian blushed.

“I- I’m not-” He stopped, a blush spreading across his face. He didn’t look at Nova, and for that, she was thankful her face had gone a brilliant shade of red as well. 

“Excited for training later?” Ruby nudged Nova, breaking the awkward silence. 

Nova nodded. In truth, she was more excited to learn about the inner workings of the castle, the schedules, what went on all day. Although at training she’d learn the fighting styles of the guards, and she could report back to the Anarchists to give them better ideas of how to win in battle. 

Ruby gasped, pointing towards the window. “Danna!” She jumped up, running to throw open the window, and a swarm of monarch butterflies spiraled over the heads of the guards, before materializing into a tall girl with dark skin and blonde dreadlocks. She smiled at Adrian, giving him a quick nod. 

“Danna!” Oscar greeted her enthusiastically. “Have you met Nova? She’s new.” 

“Hey, Nova.” She offered her hand, and Nova took it warily, feeling the familiar tingle of her power through the contact. She pushed it down, smiling hesitantly at Danna. 

“So, butterflies? That’s your power?” 

She nodded. “Monarch, at your service.” 

Did all the Renegades introduce themselves like that? It felt like they were mocking her. If they were really at her service, why was her family dead. They hadn’t been there for her father, for her family. Her thoughts grounded Nova. These Renegades could never be her friends. Stepping away from Danna, she looked around the hall. Most people had finished eating and were milling around, talking and glancing at the clock. 

“What’s everyone waiting for?”

“Shift change. Should happen any minute. You’ll stick with us, right?” Ruby hooked her arm through Nova’s, leading her through the door when the bells chimed. 

She noticed Adrain trailing behind them. 

“Are you coming with us?” 

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t have anything to do today, I thought I’d make sure that everything went smoothly? Besides, I spend a lot of time with these guys. I need to make sure they don’t chase you away on the first day.” Adrian answered sheepishly. 

Nova hummed, glancing around them. They had made their way back through the castle and now stood at the gates. Adrian ushered them through a side door, Nova trailing behind. They all grabbed uniforms off off the wall and stepped behind screens, preparing to change. Adrian handed Nova a uniform, looking her up and down. 

“This should probably fit you, although the legs might be a little long. We can send it down to the tailor, it should be ready tomorrow.” Nova grabbed the uniform and ducked behind a screen to change. The legs were too long, but Nova rolled them up and laced up the boots Adrian had handed her. They were quite possibly the most comfortable thing she had ever worn, the boots she wore as Nightmare would leave her feet aching by the end of the day, but the touch material had saved her many times from a surprise attack. 

“Ready for patrol?” Nova peaked out from behind her screen to find the rest of them waiting for her.  “Patrol?” Now that she looked at the uniforms they wore, she realized that she had seen them before. She had figured they were some outside organization focused on peacekeeping, never had she considered that they might be from the castle. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Adrian took in her confused expression and bit back a laugh. It astounded him to no end just how many people didn’t realize that the justice force that kept their city safe came from the castle. That they were Renegades. 

“Most people don’t know that the people who keep the city safe are Renegades, and to be honest, we prefer to keep it that way. Criminals would take advantage of knowing where our teams are based. We don’t advertise the information until initiation. We made sure to make the uniforms very different from the guards around the castle so that connections can’t be made without inside information. It may sound odd, but that’s the way it’s always been done.” He finished, taking a deep breath. “Any questions?”

“What do we do on patrol?” Her face morphed into one of excitement. 

“We’re assigned sectors. Each team is, and we’ll patrol around them during our times, or respond to distress calls from other areas if needed. Everything follows a routine around here, you’ll get used to it. Most of the day we hang out around the castle, waiting for our shifts and training.” 

Nova nodded, still scanning her surroundings. Adrian watched as her eyes traveled up and down, side to side, looking all around the room until they curved back up to meet his. Her brow furrowed as she realized he had already been watching her, giving him a look that had become very familiar to him, and that he had started to seek out. He didn’t know why her mystery was so intriguing to him, but there was something about her that made him want to learn more. Maybe it was the way that she closed herself off from others. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted her to trust him, to talk to him, have stupid little conversations that morphed into talking about hopes and dreams. Or maybe he felt that way about her. Like he could tell her anything, and she would be honest, sharing her true thoughts. Nova had already said that she hated lying, and he respected her for it. He felt the same, most of the time. Although, recently, he had found himself to be lying more and more, as he worked on his newest project. Adrian loved his power, being able to bring to life. He loved to draw, and recently he had contemplated the idea of giving himself other powers, even thinking of creating a fancy suit for himself that would conceal his identity and protect him in battle. He had begun to sketch out ideas, hiding his drawings under his mattress where he could be sure no one would find them. Hugh and Simon had wondered why he was suddenly spending so much time outside the castle, and although he supposed it wasn’t really a lie, he had told them that he was looking for inspiration. And he was- he didn’t have much experience with prodigies, and was only exposed to so many different powers. So he went outside, searching for ideas for tattoos to give himself other powers. Although it was one of the more common powers, Adrian had always been partial to pyrokinesis, power over fire. He had sketched out a flame design that he intended to go on his arm, and springs for his feet. He also needed supplies- he doubted the council would approve of his idea, even if he had just said that he wanted a regular tattoo. So, under the cover of his cloak, he had snuck out to buy tattooing supplies at a stall and inked little springs to the bottom of his feet. He had nearly crashed into the wall the first time he tested them, and when a guard rushed in to investigate the noise he threw a blanket over his supplies and said that he tripped over a book on the floor. His next two had been successful as well, and now he was equipped with a shiny set of armor that retracted into a zipper above his sternum and the flame tattoo on his forearm. 

Adrian wasn’t quite sure what he planned to do with his new powers, but he wanted to join the Renegades. Officially, this time. He was sure that with a quick demonstration of his powers he would be allowed, even if his true identity could never be revealed. When he was younger he had always asked when he would be allowed to join, and every time they would look at him sadly and say “when he was older”. He’d stopped asking. 

Ruby hooked her arm through Nova’s and the girl jumped, still lost in his eyes. Her eyes narrowed and she unclenched her fists. Ruby led Nova out of the gates and towards their assigned sector.


	6. Chapter 6

Nova knew the city inside and out. She had taken to exploring it in the night, climbing to the roofs of the buildings and staring at the stars. It was calm and quiet at night. She would walk through the streets, jump between buildings, do whatever she wanted. No one was there to stop her. If she did see someone else, or see the peacekeepers, she would duck into an alley or climb up a building to avoid them. 

They walked along the streets, quietly observing the happenings around them. It was a pretty average market day, the streets bustling with people, but calm in its own sense. Everyone knew exactly where to go, and stayed on their own path, creating flowing lines of people through the market. It had been almost a month since Nova joined the Renegades, and she wasn’t getting any closer to her goal. Yes, she had learned about the castle and the schedule, but she wasn’t any closer to Adrian. And she needed to be. She  _ wanted _ to be. He was friendly, yes, but there always seemed to be something holding him back. He would often join them on patrol, laughing and joking with them as they stood watch, occasionally stopping a thief or other petty criminals. Two times they had run into prodigy criminals, and both times it left Nova exhausted. In her fights as Nightmare, she could use her power to put them to sleep. But as Insomnia, Nova was entirely reliant on her own abilities. As a Renegade, she had to comply with their code. No dangerous attacks unless it was a last resort. 

The mural of the “Day of Triumph”, as the city called it stood high and proud, passersby glancing up as they passed it. Nova turned away from the mural before she did something that would certainly give her away. 

“It’s sad, isn’t it?” Nova jumped. Adrian stood behind her staring up at the mural. “Some people are so greedy for power that they’ll do anything to get it.” Grief settled across his face, and Nova followed his gaze to where the Queen stood, holding Adrian behind her and brandishing a sword at the invaders. Nova cleared her throat and reached out to touch his shoulder. Adrian jumped as she made contact and looked down at her. 

“I’m sorry about your mom. It’s really hard to lose a parent. I’m sure she would be proud of you if she could see you now.” She wondered if her parents would be proud of her. She had always hoped so, but the more she learned about the Renegades and about Adrian, the more she doubted herself. Was she doing the right thing?

“Did you- are your parents- Did one of them...” He began, stumbling over his words. 

“Dead. Gang attack during the Age of Anarchy.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Yeah. I am too.” Their conversation lulled into an awkward silence. Adrian cleared his throat. 

“So, how did you get your powers? Have you always been unable to sleep?”

Nova considered his question. It’s not like she could tell him the whole story.  _ My parents were killed right in front of me and they killed my baby sister and they would have killed me if I hadn’t used my power to put the hitman to sleep and held a gun in my hand and waited for the Renegades to come. But they didn’t come and they’re dead because the Renegades didn’t come and every time I close my eyes I hear the gunshots in my head and Evie’s last cry and papá telling me to run and the sound of my mother’s body hitting the floor and it’s all because the Renegades didn’t come.  _

The Renegades never came. 

Nova sucked in a shaky breath. “I did sleep as a baby, although not as much as other kids. And one day, I just stopped sleeping.” 

“How old were you?” 

“Six.” 

“Wow, that must have been difficult for your parents. A kid who never sleeps?” Nova flinched as the new voice jolted her out of her memories. Oscar had appeared beside them. She wasn’t sure how long he had been listening. But the weight of his words hit her like a brick. She stared at her feet, mumbling, “Yeah. It would’ve been hard.” 

She felt an arm around her shoulders, and before she could register what was happening Adrian had pulled her into a hug. Nova froze, her body going rigid as Adrian’s arms settled around her. She allowed him to hold her for a couple seconds before pulling away and clearing her throat, a blush spreading across her face. 

“We should finish patrol.” Oscar looked at her in bewilderment, but he slowly nodded.  “Yeah, we should.” He said slowly, still eyeing Nova. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Adrian watched Nova as she stalked through the streets. If she had confused him before, it was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. Did she stop sleeping the night her parents died? Could she sleep now if she wanted to? What had that flash of anger that had consumed her face for a moment before disappearing just as fast meant? 

A swarm of butterflies spiraled down next to him, and Danna emerged from the spot seconds later. She cleared her throat, raising her eyebrows as she nodded towards Nova. 

“What?” 

Danna rolled her eyes. “Please, Adrian. You look at her like she holds the key to the universe. I know you, Adrian. And you’ve fallen. Hard. Just, be careful, okay? You don’t really know her yet.” 

Adrian brushed her off. “She’s different than anyone I’ve ever met. I’m just curious.” 

“Yeah. Sure.” Danna waited for his response, but Adrian just stood in silence. Still watching Nova. The way that she carried herself was so different than anyone else he had ever met. She was also more secretive than anyone he knew. She always looked to be on the edge, as if she was expecting an attack from all sides at any moment. He wondered what her life had been like, what hardships she had experienced for her to be so wary all the time. 

He wanted to know. Something about Nova McLain drew him to her, and he wanted to know everything about her. Adrian sped up, intent on catching up with her to ask her more questions, but before he could a loud cackle broke through the dull noise of the market. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Nova snapped to attention. She knew that noise.  _ What the hell was he doing here? _

She searched the skies for the familiar black and white hot air balloon. She spotted it hovering over a building a few yards away, golden threads already streaming from his fingertips and attacking the crowd below. Nova cursed under her breath, running towards the commotion. 

“Nova! Where are you going?” Adrian shouted after her. 

She whipped around, pointing at the sky. “That’s an anarchist! Our job?”

Adrian’s eyes widened when he spotted The Puppeteer. He called to the rest of their team, before sprinting after Nova. 

Nova did her best to lose the rest of her team in the crowd. She wasn’t really here to stop the Puppeteer, the only thing she wanted to know was what he was doing. And she couldn’t go up and talk to him as Nova McLain. She ran through the market, searching for the alley where she had hid her bag. She ducked into a stall, surveying her surroundings, enduring that no one had followed her, before rushing out and grabbing her bag. She hid behind the stall and pulled Nightmare’s uniform over her Renegade Uniform. 

Grabbing her gloves, she activated the suction cups on the fingertips and began to haul herself up the side of a building. 

“Aha! Little Nightmare, what a surprise to see you here!” Winston had spotted her. 

Nova stalked to the edge of the roof. “What are you doing here, Winston? Are you trying to get me caught on my first day?” 

He shrugged. “Ace sent me to check on you. It’s been a while since the people were reminded that we are still very much alive and well.” Nova groaned. Ace  _ still  _ didn’t trust her. A wave of determination swept through her. She would not fail this time. And she  _ would _ make Ace proud of her. 

Nova opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a ruby grappling hook flew up and lodged in the edge of the rooftop. Nova cursed, pulling out her stun gun, but someone kicked it out of her hand. Danna had emerged from her swarm of butterflies, and was now kneeling a few yards from Nova, glaring at her.

Black smoke filled the air and Nova coughed as her lungs burned. She stumbled as a fist made contact with her stomach, and something slashed at her arm.  _ Ruby _ . 

“Winston,” she rasped. “Throw me a rope.” 

A loud thud sounded behind her and Nova spun around. A large figure encased in a shiny metal suit of armor stood in front of her, his hands on his hips and his shoulders back, striking a heroic pose that made Nova’s insides curdle.

“Nightmare. Your days of villainy are over. Turn yourself in now, and I’ll make sure your trial is quick and fair.” 

Nova snorted. “And who are you?” 

“I am the Sentinel. Now, hand yourself in or I’ll be forced to bring you in myself, and I can assure you, it won’t be pretty.”

Nova glared into his shiny helmet, but only saw her face reflected back at her. Behind her, she saw Danna rise from her knees behind her and raise the stun gun. Nova swung around, kicking the gun out of her hand, just like Danna had only a few moments earlier. The two circled each other in front of the Sentinel, engaged in furious hand-to-hand combat. The Sentinel watched them, seemingly hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure when to strike. Nova noticed a flame spark in his hand, and she paused. Not exactly a rare power, but a dangerous one. Danna lunged at her, and she dodged out of the way, her back to the Sentinel. The air behind her heated up and Nova ducked, sliding between Danna’s legs. She burst into her swarm of butterflies, and Nova heard a scream. The ashen remains of at least 2 dozen butterflies floated to the ground. The remaining monarchs swarmed together, and Danna lay in a heap on the ground, an angry burn on her side. Ruby ran to her, pulling the melted fabric away from the burn. Oscar limped over, leaning over his cane to examine the burn. She whispered something to him, and he nodded. Ruby gathered Danna in her arms and grabbed her bloodstone, disappearing over the rooftop edge. 

Nova turned back to the Sentinel, raising the knife she had pulled from her toolbelt. He was staring after Ruby, completely still. Nova took advantage of his momentary lapse of security, forcing the knife through the joint in his armor at his hip and digging her fingers into the cut, releasing her power through her fingertips. He sighed, crumpling to the ground, deep in slumber. Nova stumbled away from him, suddenly overrun with exhaustion. Smoke filled her lungs once again and she coughed, her eyes stinging. She heard the click of Oscar’s cane on the ground behind her and swung her arm out. He landed on the roof with a grunt and Nova reached behind her, blindly searching for the exposed skin of his ankle. Only when Oscar had slumped to the ground did Nova allow her to relax. She took a moment to catch her breath and clear the smoke from her lungs, before leaping across the buildings to catch up to Winston’s hot air balloon. She grabbed the rope he threw her and saluted to the crowd below. 


	7. Chapter 7

When Adrian finally woke up, he was surprised at how tired he was. The sun had begun to set and he cursed quietly at the scene he would surely return to at the castle. His dread only grew when he remembered the events of the past few hours. He had been excited to tell his friends about the Sentinel. But then he had hurt Danna. He knew that they would understand that it had been an accident, but that didn’t mean they would approve. He didn’t know how to control his powers yet. Maybe fire had been too far a stretch for his first tattoo. He needed something more controlled, something he could focus and aim that didn’t destroy everything it touched.

After jumping down from the building, he retracted the suit back into the zipper on his sternum and peeled the fabric of his shirt back from the stab wound on his hip. He drew little stitches into his skin, pulling his skin together, dabbing at it with a wet cloth. Adrian drew himself a clean shirt, pulled it on, and started to make his way back to the castle.

His friends and the Council were mostly just glad to see that he was alive and unhurt. He couldn’t tell them about the stab wound, couldn’t risk his friends finding out about the Sentinel, especially after Danna. A fresh wave of guilt swept over him as he remembered Danna. He inquired after her, and Ruby told him that Danna would be okay, but it would be a long time before she could safely transform and patrol again. He made up a story about getting caught in the crowd as he followed Nova, trying not to lose her. Worry overtook him as he realised he hadn’t seen Nova since she had ran towards the Puppeteer.

“Nova! Is she okay? I lost her in the crowd, and then I got stuck trying to help some kids, have you guys seen her?”

Ruby winced. “We haven’t seen her either, maybe she went home? Renegades have been searching the scene of the attack and the surrounding areas, and if she was hurt, she would have been brought in. She may have gone to check on her family?”

“I’m sure she’s fine, Adrian. Nova can take care of herself,” Oscar said.

Adrian nodded slowly, his thoughts still wrapped up in Danna and Nova. Guilt over what he had done to Danna, and guilt over losing Nova. Guilt over forgetting both of them.

“You okay, Adrian?” Ruby nudged him.   
Adrian jumped, lost in his own thoughts. “Y-yeah,” he stuttered, pushing down his guilt and offering a slow smile to Ruby. “Just lost in thought.”

She nodded, turning back towards Oscar. “I started putting together a care package for Danna, for when she wakes up, I was going to go give it to her now. You guys wanna come?”

Someone coughed from behind Adrian, and he turned to see the council standing with their arms crossed. The Captain beckoned to Adrian, and he sighed.

“I’d better go see what they want. Let me know if you need me to draw anything, and if Danna’s awake, tell her that I’m sorry?”

Ruby blinked. “Okay… But, what do you have to be sorry for? It’s not like you burned her.”

Adrian bit back a curse. “Of course not. But she lost a lot of butterflies, didn’t she?”

She nodded, slowly, still giving him an odd look. “I will. See you later.” She leaned in. “And good luck.” She nodded towards the council.

Adrian thanked her, and turned back towards the council, ready for the lecture they had held back in the presence of his friends.

________________________________________________________________________________

Nova watched as the city faded from view, the hot air balloon making its way towards the forest. They landed in a forest clearing, and Nova immediately jumped out, cursing as she tore off Nightmare’s uniform to reveal her Renegade uniform underneath. She tore a strip of clothing from the bottom of Nightmare’s jacket, wrapping it around the cut on her arm.

“Little nightmare, where are you rushing off to?”

Nova jumped, spinning around to find her uncle emerging from a group of bushes to her left.

“My team, they’ll have noticed I’m missing, I need to get back to the city!”

Ace sighed. “One month in, and you’re no closer to achieving our goal.”

_“Your goal.”_ She muttered under her breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. I’m getting closer. They’re beginning to trust me and I’ve learned a lot about the Renegades and the Prince. I think he likes me. Someone mentioned a ball coming up, I was thinking that that would be a good time to put the final piece into place. I’m sure I can get him alone, and everyone will be preoccupied at the ball.”

Ace nodded, and the small smile that spread across his face made Nova sigh in relief.

“A good plan, Nightmare. Now you best be heading back to the city.” Nova turned, ready to begin her long walk back to the city. “And get that Prince to fall in love with you!” She blushed at his words. She doubted Adrian would ever be _in love_ with her. She just needed him to like her enough for her to convince him to leave the ball. She would lead him through the gardens, maybe even hold his hand. And when they had reached the extraction point, maybe she would even kiss his cheek before driving her power through him. Nova shook her head, trying to drive those traitorous thoughts out of her head. She would not fall for a _Renegade_. Especially not the prince. She was a spy. A traitor. He would hate her the second he found out. His mother had been killed by her family. Her true family. No matter how friendly the Renegades were, they would never accept her. The real her. Adrian _may_ have been handsome. His smile may have pushed away every negative thought in her mind, and his laugh _may_ have brightened even the darkest of rooms, but she was not in love with him. She liked him a normal amount, as a friend. And she definitely didn’t think of grabbing his hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles every time his hand brushed hers. His eyes may have been kind but somewhere under his brilliant smile and warm eyes was the evil, power hungry tyrant her uncle had told her of. Nova shook away her traitorous thoughts of Adrian, and began considering how the hell she was going to convince him to run away from the ball with her.

________________________________________________________________________________

Adrian had thought he was prepared for the lecture that he knew was to come. He was wrong. He was _so_ wrong. The second the throne room doors closed behind his friends, the Council immediately started yelling. They yelled about how irresponsible he was, that he wasn’t even supposed to be out in the city, how it wasn’t safe. They reprimanded him for not coming back to the castle immediately after the threat was gone. He tuned out their voices, instead focusing on Nova. He liked her. He liked her a lot. He found himself blushing more than he had ever had in this last month. When she brushed by him in passing he felt his skin tingle where her skin touched his.

“Adrian?” He jumped, straightening as he looked back to the Council.

“Sorry, yes?”

“Have you given any more thought in regards to the ball?”

He had, although definitely not the kind of thought they wanted from him. He had been planning some way to convince Nova to come to the ball. He didn’t think that balls were her kind of event, but he wanted her there. Someone to make fun of all the aristocratic jerks filling the halls of the castle. He wanted to see if she would dance with him, keep him away from all the snobby girls who only wanted him for his title.

“What about the ball?”

A sigh echoed from the council as a whole. “You know what balls are for, Adrian. You’re meant to find your queen. Or king.” He added as an afterthought, squinting at Adrian.

“My mother ruled without a King, and you’ll still be here to help me. I don’t think it’s necessary.” As if they’d ever accept anyone but a rich, well-known aristocrat. Did they not remember where he came from? Who his mother had been, before she was Queen?”

“Your mother was an adult. She had lived outside the castle. She knew the people.”

“I know the people! Why do you think I’ve been sneaking out since I was 9? A Prince is supposed to know the people he’s meant to rule, not be locked up in a castle until he’s suddenly relevant! I never even wanted to be a ruler. I- I just want my mom back. I want a normal life, before all of this. Before the Renegades.”

“Adrian. . .”

“At least make sure that everyone is invited to the ball. And I mean everyone. Invite the guards, anyone who isn’t working during the actual ball.” When the Captain opened his mouth to protest, Adrian continued. “The room will be full of Renegades, everyone will be perfectly safe.”

The Council glanced back and forth at each other, before coming to a consensus. “Your wish is granted. The entire kingdom will receive an invite to the ball.”

Adrian breathed a sigh of relief. The easy part was done. Now, he had to convince Nova to come, and to stay with him.

________________________________________________________________________________

Nova wandered the castle, torches lighting the otherwise dark halls as she thought over her plan. She wanted to know what Adrian thought about the ball, and how easy it would be to convince him to leave it. If she could find out his opinion now, and if he was actually excited to dance with prissy fangirls, then she would spend the next week thinking of ways to get him to leave with her. Nova made her way through the corridors, her brain full of possible moves for the future. As she passed the occasional guard, light glinting off of the shiny metal helmets, her thoughts switched to the Sentinel. _Who was he,_ and why hadn’t the Renegades made any sort of announcement? Unless… unless they didn’t know. Unless he was an imposter, using the title that the renegades held to search for her and the anarchists. She was so lost in thought, that she didn’t notice the dark shadow turning the corner in front of her, and when she turned the corner, she bumped into the tall figure, her head colliding with their chest. Strong hands grabbed her shoulders, and Nova immediately twisted, pulling the knife from her belt and holding it against her attacker’s throat.

“Nova! It’s me.”

Adrian.

Well, maybe she wouldn’t have to wait until the next day to find him. She put the knife down, stepping towards one of the torches on the wall so she could see him better.

“Sorry. I thought you were-” He waved her apology away. His cheeks were dark and Nova thought he may have been blushing, but that was impossible. Adrian was her friend. And no matter how she felt, or didn’t feel about him wouldn’t change that.

“It’s fine.” He cleared his throat. “So, what are you doing up at an hour like this?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Seriously? What else am I supposed to do, sit in my room and stare at the wall?”

He laughed, and it echoed loudly through the corridors. Nova flinched, smiling nervously.

“I’m just kidding. I like to wander the halls when I can’t sleep. It’s the one time I can go wherever I want without having to sneak around. The guards know my routine and they usually leave me alone.”

“Why couldn’t you sleep?”

“Too busy thinking. The council finally agreed to invite everyone in the city to the ball, not just the aristocrats and high-class. I can’t stand them. The normal people are my favorite. They’re the kindest, and they look at you for who you really are, not your money or title. I guess I just. . . I just don’t really get the point of this ball.”

“It’ll be fun, though, won’t it?”

He made a face. “Doubtful. All the fangirls will be throwing themselves at me all night because they think they have a chance at becoming my queen.”

Nova started. It was the most narcissistic thing she had heard come from his mouth in the months that she had known him. Maybe he wasn’t as perfect as he seemed. Maybe Ace had been right the whole time. The doubts that had been forming steadily in her mind for months began to dissipate. He must have seen her expression, because a second later he said, “Oh, not like that! I’m sure they’re all wonderful, in their own way. I just. . . I don’t really want to get married, you know? I’ll only be 18, and I don’t want to choose my partner at 17.”

The doubts built up in her head as steadily as they had been broken down. She shook them away. No matter how good Adrian may have been, he was still a Renegade. And the Council had been poisoning him.

_Right?_

“Nova?”

She hummed, pulling herself back to reality. He was looking down at her, worry and anticipation behind his eyes.

“Are you going to the ball?”

_It couldn’t be this easy._ She nodded slowly, and his face lit up.

“Save me a couple dances?”

She nodded again, looking up at him. “Sure.” She rasped. Clearing her throat, she smiled jokingly

and poked him. “So, how many guards have you reserved dances with tonight?”

He blinked at her, his mouth falling open. “I’m not- just you, of course. I can’t have a date to the ball

according to the Council’s rules, but I wanted to go with you, so I just thought I’d-” He clapped his hand over his mouth, realising what he had just said.

Nova blushed. “I-uh-”

“I’m so sorry. It just slipped out, you don’t have to dance with me, or we can just dance as friends, I

just-”

“I would love to dance with you. Even if you have a dozen other girls lined up.”

“I don’t. You’re the only one I want to dance with.”

“You’re the only one I want to dance with, too.” She stuttered, the words felt so awkward in her mouth. But Adrian only grinned, grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers together. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles, just like Nova had found herself wishing she could do. He pulled her closer to him, and Nova swore her heart would beat through her chest. It was pounding in her ears as Adrian got closer and closer, and Nova knew that if he got any closer she wouldn’t be able to stop. She stepped away. He let go of her hand, disappointment flickering across his face.

“Sorry- I just- I just remembered that I had something I was planning to do tonight. I’ll see you later.” She didn’t look at him, only turning and walking down the hall as fast as she could without running. The skin where his lips had touched her hand was burning, a constant reminder that Adrian Everhart had kissed her and she had almost kissed him. A constant reminder that she had no idea what was the right thing to do anymore. A constant reminder that she was in love with Adrian Everhart. 


	8. Chapter 8

Adrian had never been more confused in his life. As he listened to Nova’s retreating footsteps he mulled over the events of that night. Pros: Nova had accepted his invitation. She had agreed to dance with him, even saying that he was the only one she wanted to dance with. Cons: She had run away.  _ Run away.  _

He shook it off. Nova was a very private person. It took a lot for her to trust anyone. But, maybe, if he showed her that he trusted her wholeheartedly, with their biggest secret, maybe she would trust him. 

He made his way back to his bedroom and pulled out his sketchbook, doodling as he attempted to clear his mind. After about a half an hour his eyes started to droop and he closed it, lying back on his bed, drifting off into sleep. 

He set out at the same time the next night, following the same path he had the night before, hoping to run into Nova. He paced through the halls, covering the same ground, one, two, three times. But Nova didn’t show. Finally, he made his way to the guards quarters, knocking on the door to Nova’s room. A loud sound echoed through the room, as if something had been knocked off the bed. He heard a muffled curse, followed by the frantic shuffling of papers and the clinking of metal. Footsteps padded towards the door, and it squeaked open, a flustered Nova standing on the threshold. She started when she realised that it was him, opening her mouth as if to speak. 

“I want to show you something.” He said, holding out his hand to her. He froze, remembering how she had pulled away last night, and drew his hand back, clearing his throat. “Sorry. Uh, would you come with me? There’s something I think you would be interested in.” She nodded, stepping out of her room and closing the door. Adrian led her through the castle, down towards the basement. He heard Nova pause, and he turned back to see an odd expression on her face. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought that it was fear. He shook it off, offering her a small smile. 

“You okay?”

She nodded, speeding up so that she was standing beside him. “So, where are we going?”

He stopped beside a torch, pressing the red R that decorated the base. The sound of grinding stone filled the air and a passage opened up. It was dark, and Adrian sketched a torch and held it out to her.    
She stared, open-mouthed at the passage as she grabbed the torch, stepping hesitantly into the tunnel. 

“Where are we going?”

“To see a friend.”

They made their way along the tunnel, and Adrian could hear Nova’s shallow breathing beside him. He tried to focus on anything else, the sound of their footsteps, how much longer it would take to get to Max, or the flickering of the torch in her hand. It illuminated her face, casting shadows over it. It took too much restraint for Adrian to not grab her hand and press another gentle kiss against her knuckles. Her shallow breathing reminded him of how much he wanted to press her up against the wall and kiss her until they were both gasping for air. But he couldn’t, and never would. He would wait for her, no matter how long it took. 

Nova paused as they reached the end of the corridor. She glanced up at him, a question behind her eyes. He pushed open the door, revealing a spiraling staircase and a ceiling made of glass. She stared up in awe, following him as he made his way up the staircase.

“What is this place?” She asked as she took in the sight. 

“You’ll see in just a second. He’s through here.” He led her up the staircase and through a trapdoor in the ceiling to reveal a small room separated by a glass wall from the rest of the tower. Adrian pulled a small cord hanging near them and a bell rang through the tower. A small figure appeared from a trapdoor in the ceiling. Adrian smiled, calling out through the glass. 

“Max! Come meet Nova. She’s the one I’ve been telling you about.” Nova stiffened beside him, looking up at him in apprehension. “Insomnia, meet the Bandit. Max, this is Nova! She joined us a little over a month ago.”

Nova was examining the tower. “Are you trapped in here?”

“Nova-”

Max interrupted him. “It’s fine. It’s not safe for me to be around other people, and I can see everything from here. Plus, I get visitors all the time. It’s not so bad.” 

She still looked skeptical, but he assured her that Max had a want for nothing and had company throughout the day, as well as a view of the courtyard and access to the library and anything else he could want to stay busy. He watched her as she nodded slowly, her brow still furrowed. 

“Why isn’t it safe for you to be around other people?” 

“It’s- uh… classified?” 

Nova raised her eyebrows. “Right, I guess I forgot who I was talking to.” The bitterness in her voice was evident, and Adrian stared at the floor, partly embarrassed, and partly to hide his own bitterness. 

“Can I show her the model?” 

Adrian waved his question away. “It’s your model, Max. I don’t care what you do with it.”

Max squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating hard as a blanket rose from the ground, revealing a glittering glass model of the city. He heard Nova draw in a sharp breath next to him, walking closer to the model and squatting down next to the glass partition, her hand against it for balance. 

“That stall is in the wrong place. It should be next to the blacksmith, over there, and the one behind it should take its place.” 

She looked up to see Max and Adrian staring at her in confusion. 

“What? I spend a lot of time in the city. There’s only so much I can do to keep entertained when I’m awake 24/7.” 

The glass buildings rose, moving to their corrected places. 

“Any more corrections, Insomnia?” Adrian laughed, but she gave him a stern look and pointed back at the glass city. 

“I’m guessing you had a big part in this?” She smirked when he nodded. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m here. That row is all wrong. It should be there,” She pointed to a spot nearby, and those over there should be here.” Max began to move the objects, grinning at Adrian’s expression. 

He watched as Nova continued to correct the city. She was so sure of herself, pointing out his mistakes without a second glance, even naming the names of buildings and businesses and streets, as she directed him. 

“Listen, Nova. You can’t tell anyone that I brought you here. The only people who know are Ruby, Danna, and Oscar, and the Council of course, and the people who care for him. We would both get in so much trouble if they knew that I brought you here.” She raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it and simply nodded. She finished her corrections to the city and stood up, brushing her hands off on her pants. 

“I should go, there was something I wanted to finish working on tonight.” She offered him a small smile, her hand brushing against his arm as she passed him. “Thank you for this.” 

“Want me to walk you back?” He said, hope in every tone of his voice, but she shook her head, and he deflated. 

“I’ll be okay. Spend some more time with Max. I have a feeling he might have a few requests for new figurines.” 

She exited through the trapdoor, and the second it closed Max started to laugh, and Adrian flinched at the loud echo. 

“Dude, could you be any more obvious? Your face lights up when she just barely looks at you.” Max shook his head, grinning at the panic on Adrian’s face. 

“You couldn’t wait until she was at least out of the tower? She might hear you,” He hissed. 

“She knows, Adrian. You have nothing left to hide, except maybe how the hell you gave yourself more powers.” 

Adrian gaped at him, his brain momentarily blank. “What- I- How- That’s. . . not me?’

Max scoffed. “I’m not stupid, Adrian. So, tattoos? Is that how you did it?” 

“What- How?” Max pointed at his sleeve, which had ridden up and revealed the bottom of the flame tattoo. Glaring, he yanked his sleeve back over the tattoo. 

“So you haven’t told anyone?” Max asked. 

Adrian shook his head. “Danna got hurt, and you know the Council would never allow it. Who knows what they’d do to stop me from becoming the Sentinel, especially after everything that happened with Nightmare. I was stuck on that rooftop for hours. You have no idea the kind of lecture I got when I finally got back.” 

“Actually, I do. The Captain was here right after, complaining about how unprofessional you were, and how you didn’t even look like you were listening. Distracted by thoughts of your giiiiirlfriend?” He drew out the word, a mocking tone prevalent. 

“She’s not my girlfriend, and no. I was actually thinking about how I could have killed Danna, and I was worried about Nova. She disappeared at the beginning of the fight, and didn’t return for hours. But she’s fine, and they say that Danna will be too.” 

“I watched the battle, you know.” He pointed out the window in the general direction of the rooftop where the fight had been. The Dread Warden brought me binoculars so I could watch the city. It was awful, watching the fight, and I didn’t even know it was you. Watching the flame jump between the butterflies, I thought it would take them all.” Adrian shuddered. 

Below them, the trapdoor opened again, and Nova poked her head through. 

Adrian bristled. How much had she heard? He examined her expression, but if she had heard anything, it didn’t show. 

“Hey again,” He said, smiling at her. She smiled back, somewhat hesitantly. 

“Hey. Uh, can we talk?” She was staring down at her feet, refusing to look at him. He turned to look at Max, who just grinned, giving him a thumbs up as he began to levitate over his glass city. 

“Yeah. Do you want to take a walk?” She nodded, turning away from Max and the quarantine, shuffling her feet a little as she walked towards the steps. She had grabbed her toolbelt from her room, and it hung loosely around her waist. She wore a light jacket over a tank top, and as she walked, her jacket slipped off her shoulder, revealing a long red cut on her arm. It looked fresh, and she grimaced as it was exposed to the cold air. She shrugged it back on to her shoulder, shaking her head at his confused expression. Max, however gasped from behind them, followed by the distinct sound of shattering glass and a cry of pain. Nova spun around next to him, running towards the doors to the quarantine before he could stop her. She threw open the doors and ran towards him, pulling something out of her toolbelt. 

“Nova! You need to get out of there, it’s not safe!” He yelled, but Nova ignored him. She picked her way towards Max. She was almost there when she gasped, her brow furrowing. She stumbled, falling to one knee, as she shook her head, rubbing her forehead and yawning. She tried to stand, but the pull of Max’s power was too much. She slumped to the ground, fast asleep. 

Adrian only paused for a second, before tearing open the door and following Nova into the quarantine. He scooped her up, carrying her out of the quarantine, jumping with the springs on his feet. 10 steps. 9. 6. His fingers started to ache, as if all his strength was being drained. He wondered how much of his power Max would have. How much of Nova’s? Would she have to sleep now?

2 steps. 1. He threw himself over the threshold, slamming the door behind him, before collapsing to the ground. Nova lay beside him, her breathing shallow as her eyelids twitched. He watched her as she dreamt, but turned away a second later. He wouldn’t like to have someone watching him as he slept, so he waited patiently beside her as medics rushed in to the quarantine after he had run the emergency bell that was just inside the door. He waved them away, signaling that he was fine, and that Nova was only asleep, and neither of them had been in there long enough to do any serious damage. 

He leaned over Nova, shaking her shoulder in an attempt to wake her. No response. He tried again, and a few seconds later, she awoke. She awoke not as one generally did, with yawns and sleepy eyes, but with a small shriek. She was shaking, her eyes filling with tears. She scrambled away from, leaning against the wall, her head buried in her knees. Her breathing was fast, and a small sob escaped her mouth. He offered her his hand, and she took it, lacing their fingers together. He sat next to her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. He squeezed her hand, offering her what comfort he could. 

“I’m okay.”

“What happened?” 

She paused, and shook her head slowly. “I-”

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay. You showed me Max, you deserve to know.” Nova took a shaky breath. “When I was six, I stopped sleeping. But it wasn’t by choice. My father was famous among the villain gangs during the age of anarchy, for his weapon-making. They went to him, threatened him with his life. He complied, for our sake as well as his own. He always hated what he did for them, and after a while he couldn’t take it anymore, seeing his creations used to hurt people like that. So he went to the Council, begged for help. And they promised their help, as long as he stopped. And he did. And when he stopped, they sent someone after us. I watched my mother fall right in front of me> Her blood splattered on my face. My father was shot before he could even scream. With his last words he told me to run. And so I did. I ran and hid in my closet. Too late I remembered my sister. I prayed that she wouldn’t wake up, that she would stay asleep, but she woke up and began to cry and there was another gunshot and she was dead. I hid in my closet, trying not to breath, hoping that someone would save me before he found me too. But he did find me. And so I-” She paused, taking a deep breath. “My uncle showed up, killed the man, saving me. After that, every time I closed my eyes, I heard the gunshots blasting through my head and the echoes of my sisters last cry.”

“Nova, I’m-”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

He nodded, and she leaned her head on his shoulder again, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. 

“Can we go now?” They stood, letting go of each other’s hands as they walked down the stairs and out of the tower. 

“I’m sorry for yesterday,” He said. “I’d still like to dance with you, but only if you want to. Please don’t feel pressured because of who I am.” 

“I’ll be there.” She gave him a small smile, and Adrian flushed. 

“See you later?” She nodded, and he brushed another kiss against her knuckles.


	9. Chapter 9

The night of the ball was the busiest Nova had ever seen the castle. Everyone was getting ready, either to attend or to work, and the halls were bustling with people. She made her way back to her room and stepped over to where her dress hung off her closet. She had went back to visit the Anarchists, and ask Honey for help with a dress. Honey had only laughed, pulling out a pale green ballgown. Nova sighed at the sheer number of skirts and petticoats beneath the outer skirt. 

“Really, Honey? You couldn’t have come up with something a little more practical?”

“Nova, your only job tonight is to look so pretty that the Prince can’t take his eyes off of you. Leave any fighting to us. Besides, this is my old dress, and it’s the only one grand enough for a ball at the palace.” She sighed, a dreamy look on her face. “If only times were different.” 

Nova had to admit that the dress had grown on her. She had tried it on a couple days before the ball, and holding her sword in her hand, she felt more powerful than she ever had before. 

As she reached behind her to tie the back of the dress, she remembered the knives she had designed to go under the dress, strapped to her legs. If there was going to be a fight, there was no way she wouldn’t be involved. Even if it gave her away. Nova knew that she would do anything to bring down the Renegades. 

A knock sounded at her door and Nova jumped, strapping the knives to her thighs, where there was no way they would be seen. Most likely. Nova blushed at the thought, adjusting her skirt and opening the door to find Oscar. He looked nervous, his fingers tapping on the top of his cane. 

¨Can I come in?¨

Nova nodded, stepping back to let him in. 

“You look-”

“What are you-” They spoke at the same time. Laughing, Nova nodded at him to finish. 

“You look really nice. I wasn’t sure you would be going. Doesn’t seem like your scene. Planning on sneaking away with Adrian?”   
Nova blushed, her fingers clenching the fabric of her skirt. Oscar only laughed, and stepped further into the room. 

“I guess you’re wondering why I’m here?” 

Nova mulled over possible scenarios in her head. 

He could have found her out, but he probably would have told Ruby, who would have told Danna, who would certainly have had her arrested. No, that wasn’t it. She back-tracked, her mind landing on Ruby. Oscar wasn’t very good at hiding his feelings, and almost everyone knew that he liked her, Ruby included.   
“You want help with Ruby.” 

Oscar stared at her, his mouth falling open, before quickly closing it and nodding. “How did you-” 

“You’re not very subtle. Anyone with common sense could take one glance at you and know.”

He flinched. “Do you think she knows?”

“I think she does, but I also think that she likes you too, Oscar. You’re a catch, and Ruby knows it. You have everything you need for tonight, you know? It may sound kind of trite, but just be yourself. If she hasn’t already, Ruby will fall for you in a second.” 

“Kind of trite? Seriously Nova, that’s what everyone tells you growing up. But thanks. See you soon?”

“Yeah. See you soon.”

He nodded goodbye, making his way out of the door and down the hall. 

Nova closed the door behind him, letting out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. The words she had spoken to Oscar echoed in her head. How could she tell Oscar to be himself when everything about her was a lie? She was an anarchist, not a Renegade. The Nova that they knew was a lie. But the Nova that the Anarchists knew was a lie too. She didn’t know who she was. Nova groaned, her head falling back against the wall as she sunk to the floor, her thoughts spinning. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Adrian had insisted on helping prepare for the gala, not that there was much for him to do. Servants were adding final decorations, and the food was being brought out, but otherwise, there was nothing to do. The Council had said that it wasn’t necessary, that the servants would take care of it all, but he wanted to help. He hated having people do things for him. That, and he needed something to distract him from Nova. She had said that she was coming, but that didn’t mean anything. Nova was a little bit unreliable, always late, sometimes never showing at all. She always apologized, mumbling something about her uncle. Adrian thought that her uncle must be very old, or sick, because he seemed to always be ill. Of course, everyone was encouraged to bring their families tonight, and Adrian had asked if she would bring her uncle, but Nova had burst out laughing, saying that he was not the type for galas. Nova didn’t seem to be the type for galas either, but she had said that she would come. All he wanted was for her to come. Hell, she could come in her guard uniform and he would still whisk her away across the dance floor. He sketched some flowers for decoration, handing them off to a servant. 

“Adrian!” The Council stood behind him. Hugh had spoken, his tone laced with disapproval. “The ball is starting in 5 minutes, you ought to be in your place.” 

Adrian sighed, turning away from the tables and slowly walking towards the far side of the room, where he would give his opening speech. He could hear quiet talking from behind the large doors, where guests were inevitably waiting for the doors to open. Adrian wondered if Nova was behind those doors. He leaned against the wall, lost in his thoughts as he waited for the doors to open. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Nova walked down the corridors, holding her skirts up. Her heels clicked on the hard floors, her pace not quite frantic, but not leisurely. She was late. She had been caught up in her own thoughts, and had barely heard the chiming of the bell towers. The ballroom wasn’t far, but she couldn’t run, for fear of arriving out of breath, or tripping on her heels. Honey had trained her well, insistent that there would be another lady among the anarchists. Nova could walk and run in heels, as well as apply makeup, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed it. She had knives strapped to her legs, hidden beneath layers upon layers of skirts. As she reached the large double doors, she heard applause, and a shout for the festivities to begin. She confirmed her invitation with the doorman, and slipped through the doors, hiding in the back of the crowd. Adrian stood in front of all the guests, a brilliant smile on his face. Nova’s breath caught in her throat. If he had looked handsome before, it was nothing compared to now. As soon as the crowd began to disperse, his smile faded and he searched the crowd, desperation hidden deep in his gaze. Music began to play, and a swarm of girls beelined towards the prince, all hoping to accompany him for the first dance. Nova made her way towards him, if only to let him know that she had arrived. She watched him as she walked, waiting for the moment when he would see her. She was halfway across the room when he did. His smile was back, as brilliant, if not more so than ever, and he stood, pushing gently through the crowd of girls to meet her. She stopped in the middle of the ballroom floor, and waited as he made his way towards her. Everyone around her was whispering, and more than one young woman was throwing a hateful glare her way, but Nova didn’t care. Adrian reached her, taking her hand and brushing a gentle kiss against her knuckles. 

“You look- you’re beautiful.” Nova flushed, mumbling her thanks. It wasn’t enough that Adrian was looking at her with such intensity that Nova’s whole body felt like it was on fire, but every pair of eyes in the room was on them, the air filled with whispers. 

“I wasn’t sure you would come. When I didn’t see you at the beginning-” 

“I lost track of time. Besides, I heard so much about the food from Oscar that I figured it would be a crime to miss it.” 

Adrian laughed, and the sound sent electricity coursing through Nova’s body. She smiled, and Adrian dropped her hand. 

“Nova McLain, will you please do me the honor of accompanying me for the first dance?” He held out his hand to her bowing ever so slightly. She took his hand and dropped into a curtsy. He pulled her closer, and the dance began. 

Nova had never liked dancing. And she never thought that she would until she danced with Adrian Everhart. Her dance lessons all those years ago with Honey were swept away as she followed Adrian’s lead, forgetting everything Honey had taught her. They moved with the music, stepping and twirling, Nova’s skirts swirling around them. 

His hand slid around her waist, and Nova let out a breathy sigh. Thoughts of what was sure to happen later that night fell away as she danced with Adrian. She began to notice the people around them. No one else was dancing, they were all watching her and Adrian. 

“They’re all looking at you.” She whispered, staring up at him. 

“Believe me, they’re all looking at you.” He was looking down at her, something indescribable in his eyes. 

The dance ended, and they bowed and curtseyed. Nova’s breathing was ragged, although not from the dance. Adrian was still so close, his hand returned to her waist as he looked down at her. 

“Nova?” 

She looked into his eyes. He was so close, she could almost feel his breath fanning across her face. 

“Can I kiss you?” 

Nova leaned up, brushing her lips against hers in response. She pulled away, ever so slightly, staring up at him. Adrian leaned down again, capturing her lips with his, pulling her close. Gasps arose from the crowd, some of surprise, others of disappointment and anger. She quickly pulled away, stepping back. 

“Not here. Not with everyone watching.” 

He nodded, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the crowd, towards a side door. 

“Everyone is still watching. Won’t they talk?” 

“They’ll soon forget. Come on, I have something to show you.” 

They left the ballroom, and walked through the halls, hand in hand. It took Nova more self-control than she was proud of not to grasp at him and kiss him until they were both breathless. But she didn’t, instead following Adrian as he led her into a gallery. Paintings, small and large adorned the walls. He pulled her towards a small painting in the back. Stopping in front of it, he pointed at the painting. 

“This is my favorite painting of my mother. My father had it done one of the first times they met. He asked her if anyone had ever painted her, and when she said no, he told her that they should, that there could never be a more perfect painting than one with her in it. She only laughed, but then the next time he visited he brought an artist, and he painted this one. Of course, once she became queen there were more, but this is my favorite. She was still carefree, living her life the way she always had been, before the mess that this kingdom became.” 

“She was beautiful.” 

Adrian nodded. “She was. She was kind, too. She never wanted to be queen, but she loved my father and wanted to take care of the kingdom, and to ensure that it didn’t fall to anarchy again.”

His mention of the Age of Anarchy reminded Nova of her mission. She wandered throughout the room, examining the paintings, slowly making her way towards the door. Adrian followed her, and more than once she noticed that his gaze was not on the paintings, but on her. She so desperately wanted to turn around and kiss him, but she knew that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to stop, and this was not the right place. She needed to take him out to the gardens, where the Anarchists would be waiting. Adrian took her hand again, leading her out of the small room and out into the hallways once more. Nova paused by a bench, sitting down for a moment to remove her heels. Adrian waited, and offered her his hand as she stood, her shoes in hand. He pulled her towards him, hands at her hips. 

“You’re shorter now.” He held back a laugh as he looked down at her. 

“I was wearing heels.” She brandished them at him, laughing. “We can’t all be as tall as giraffes.” 

“I’m not  _ that _ tall,” he scoffed. “Besides, as long as I can kiss you, I’m perfectly okay with being tall.” 

Nova laughed again, leaning up and kissing his cheek. Adrian pouted, and Nova stood up as far as she could on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. Escaping from his grasp, she pulled away and raced down the hall, giggling as Adrian groaned. 

“Nova, I’m wearing a suit. And I’m the prince! I shouldn’t be seen chasing pretty girls down the hallways of my castle.” But he laughed chasing after her. 

Nova’s heart fluttered a tiny bit at his words, but she was more focused on her path, she led Adrian through the corridors, towards the gardens where the final phase of the plan would be carried out. 

She was out of breath when she finally reached the gardens, the sun setting over the hedges. Adrian was right behind her, gasping for air as he finally caught up to her. They were both breathless and full of laughter, giggling as they began to walk into the gardens. 

“I was here once, as a child, did you know that? My father was commissioned to make something in for the castle, and he brought me and my mother along and we explored the gardens? I found this statue in a tiny corner, and it was like everything stood still. Like there was nothing else in the world but me and the ruins and the statue. My mother was furious, of course, when she found me, but it was worth it. I wonder where it was…” She trailed off, looking around for some clue of her old path. 

Adrian pulled a tiny sketchbook from the pocket of his suit. “Is this it?” He said, pointing to a drawing. 

Nova gasped. “How did you- yes-how?” 

“I go there to escape from my everyday life. Even patrol. No one else that I know of has ever found it, but not without lack for trying. The Council hates that they don’t always know where to find me. Here, I’ll show you the way.” He took her hand, lacing their fingers together, and pulled her down a path. 

After a series of twists and turns that left Nova’s head spinning, they reached the statue glen. Nova gasped. 

“It wasn’t a dream. It really happened. And it’s still here?” 

Adrian laughed as she ran to the entrance. She stopped right in front of the final barrier separating her from it, taking a deep breath before walking to the statue. It was exactly as she had remembered it, moss covering the pedestal and winding up the legs, an overwhelming sense of calm shrouding it. A rosebush grew beside it, the flowers as dark and red as blood. 

Nova sighed, laying down in the grass, staring up at the statue, her skirt fanning around her legs.

“It’s so beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is.” There was something in Adrian’s voice that made her look up. He wasn’t looking at the statue, or even at the area around them, but at her. Nova blushed, standing up, brushing off her skirt and holding out her hand to him. 

“Dance with me?” 

He took her hand, pulling her close. In his other hand, he held a rose from the bush. He held it out to her, and she took it. They danced a few steps, but it quickly turned into a kiss. Nova grabbed Adrian’s collar, pulling him down with her, until they were both on the ground, Nova’s back to the statue. Adrian pressed up against her, smiling into the kiss. The rose fell to the ground beside them. 

His hands made his way into her hair, his fingers running through it. Her arms were around his neck, pulling him even closer until she didn’t think it was possible to be any closer to him. Her heart was pounding as they kissed, and if it was any louder she would have sworn it would beat right out of her chest. Her face was flushed, eyes squeezed shut. 

_ Bang. _

Her eyes flew open. She gasped, her breathing growing heavier by the minute as the images of that fateful night flashed through her mind. 

_ Bang.  _

Tears formed in her eyes, threatening to spill over. 

_ Bang.  _

The gunshots reminded her of her purpose. She didn’t belong here. She never would. No matter how much she wanted to stay here in Adrian’s arms and kiss him until she couldn’t breathe, she didn’t belong. This was a dream, the best she had ever had, but she would wake up soon, and Adrian would be gone. She would be back with the only family she had left, and things would be back to how they always had been. Ace would respect her, and the Council would fall. She would forget Adrian Everhart and his radiant smile, his handsome face, and his kisses. No matter how much she wanted this moment to last forever, everything had to come to an end. 

Nova released her power through her body, through every place their skin touched. She was shaking, her breathing ragged, and as Adrian slumped to the ground beneath her, she let out a sigh. 

Taking a deep breath, she removed herself from Adrian’s grasp and laid down on the ground. Something brushed against her hair and she reached for it. It was the rose. She tucked it into Adrian’s suit pocket and laid back down. The moon was high in the sky, stars stretching across the midnight sky as far as she could see. She searched for the constellations she knew so well, smiling as she identified each one. She knew this sky as well as she knew the city. As a child she had climbed rooftops and laid for hours, searching the sky. She had learned the stories that accompanied them, whispering the tales out loud as the stars twinkled. 

Now, laying in the palace gardens, with the sleeping prince beside her, Nova was reminded once again of that night all those years ago. Waiting for someone to come save her. Only this time, she knew who was coming. And it wasn’t the Renegades. The Anarchists may have been cruel, but they always came for her. She was one of them, and they didn’t leave anyone behind, as long as they served a purpose. 

She watched the stars, waiting for the Anarchists. A bee buzzed through the air, landing on Nova’s nose. Her eyes crossed as she looked at it, standing to follow it as it flew off. The Anarchists were waiting for her on a nearby path. She led them back to the statue, and they gathered up Adrian and brought him back to Winston’s balloon. Seeing Adrian floating in the air in front of Ace, Nova realised that everything that had just happened was real. It wasn’t a dream, she had really done it. Their plan was well underway, and her part was done. All she had left to do was watch from the sidelines as the Renegades fell. They all boarded Winston’s hot air balloon, letting Adrian drop to the floor as it rose into the air. Nova winced as Adrian’s head hit the floor, hard enough to leave a mark. She turned away, watching as the castle faded from view and the forest took its place.


	10. Chapter 10

Ace whisked Adrian away as soon as they touched down outside the Cathedral, using his telekinesis to bring him up to the tower. Nova watched from the ground as Ace waved his hand and trees, branches, stones, everything around them was torn from the ground. The forest was gone, replaced by a mismatched wall of dirt, wood, and stone. Only the sky could be seen, and it was growing darker by the minute. Her fingers clutched at her dress, desperate to remember how Adrian’s hair had felt against her fingertips, how his breath fanned against her skin, the gentle brush of his lips against her hand, but the memory was already fading. Nova sighed, ready to sink to the floor, even though she would surely ruin her beautiful dress. 

But before she could, a loud voice rang out. 

“Oh, little nightmare! Your part is not finished yet. Someone has to tell the people that their beloved prince has been captured.” 

Nova groaned. As much as she wanted to see the outrage from the Council, she knew she’d probably be killed on the spot. 

“Send a message, Uncle. I’m not going back.” She turned on her heel, stalking into the Cathedral and up to her room, not waiting for a response. She couldn’t bear to take off the dress, not yet. She closed her eyes, letting her dance with Adrian fill her mind as she smiled, although it quickly faded as she remembered where Adrian was. 

She could go see him, for it was unlikely that anyone would stop her, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to see him asleep on the cold stone, possibly tied up, the ropes digging into his wrists. She had been gentle with her power, but nightmares were always a side effect. The thought of Adrian trapped, both physically and mentally, was too much, too painful to think of. She busied herself with one of her inventions, fiddling with the small pieces of metal. 

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she finally broke out of her spell, her invention done. The sky was now completely dark, and the complete absence of light from the wall revealed more stars than Nova had ever seen before. Pushing the invention aside, Nova stretched her shoulders and stood, peering out her window at the stars. Putting one leg out on the ledge right below her window, she hoisted herself out the window until she was standing with her stomach to the wall, her hands clutching the carefully formed handholds she created above her. Nova had been 13 when she first discovered that she could climb the Cathedral walls, the stones were crumbling just enough that she could chip away small handholds and pull herself up. After a few times, she made a safer, easier way to access the roof. She only had to climb to the top of her window, where a rope was waiting, ready for the pulley system to allow her up. As she pulled the rope down and the platform rose, she caught a glimpse of Ace in his study, talking to the other Anarchists. 

“Winston, you delivered the message? Honey and Leroy, your traps have been set?” Their faces were shadowed, but they must have confirmed, because moments later Ace smiled, chuckling softly as he turned towards the fireplace. 

“There is no way for us to lose. The Renegades come, we kill the prince, and defeat them. They don’t, we kill the prince anyway, leave the Renegades in disarray, and defeat them.” 

Nova gasped.  _ Kill the prince,  _ he had said. That had never been part of the plan. Ace paused at the sudden noise, his footsteps creeping closer to the window as Nova pressed herself to the wall above it. Ace peered out the window but failed to look up, and Nova let out a breath as he stalked back to the fireplace, pacing in circles as he muttered to the others. 

Nova continued to pull herself up, finally reaching the top of the tower. She laid on her back, watching as the stars twinkled above her. She sighed, closing her eyes. Oh, to be free of everything. She didn’t really want to be here, after all. What Nova wanted more than anything was to run away, far from Gatlon and the Renegades, far away from the Anarchists, and forge her own path. And maybe, once this was all over, she would. Her inventions would bring in enough money, at least until she found a steady source of income. 

She blinked, focusing on a quiet clatter in the distance. Nova grabbed the telescope she had mounted to the roof years ago, turning it to the ground, before remembering the wall. A loud clang rang out below her, and she focused on the gleaming metal that poked through the fortress of stone and earth. 

The Renegades had come. 

And Ace would kill Adrian. Nova jumped up, forgetting her pulley system as she slowly climbed down the wall, her dress fluttering around her, her bare feet covered in cuts as she fumbled for footholds. Nova slipped through a window, rolling to avoid the hard impact of the stone floor. She raced through the hallways, stumbling over the broken floors. Something fluttered in the corner of her eye, but she ignored it, only focused on Adrian and how much she had fucked up. Her vision tunneled and she crashed into the door, fumbling with the door handle.

“I knew it.”   
Nova jumped, turning towards the voice. Danna stood in front of her, glaring at Nova with such anger that Nova shrunk against the door. 

“You’re one of them. You were a spy! I warned Adrian. I warned him, and he didn’t listen. Do you know how much this is going to hurt him?”

“It will hurt him a lot more if my Uncle kills him! I didn’t want to do this. They’re the only family I have, but I was wrong. They’re wrong. I have no love for the Council, but Adrian is not the villain I was raised to think he is. I’m going to save him. They’ll be less likely to stop me. The more you try to fight me the less time he has. So you can either let me go, or Adrian dies.” 

Danna stared at her, open-mouthed, surprise written across her face. Her expression hardened. 

“Fine.” Nova turned back to the door, turning the knob. Danna grabbed her hand, twisting the skin painfully. “But-” She started, “If any harm comes to him at all, if you do  _ anything  _ to him, I will personally hunt you down, and escort you to the gates of hell myself.” 

Nova wrenched her arm away, glaring back at Danna.  _ “I’m already in hell.”  _

Danna stepped back, still suspicious, but she transformed and flew away when a scream shredded the air. Nova winced. 

It was all her fault. 

Nova had expected traps. Simple ones, of Honey and Leroy’s invention, the kinds of traps she had grown up avoiding. The first flight of stairs was easy. So was the second. As she reached the top, Nova became more and more confident, skipping through the traps with ease, until something on the ground distracted her. She tripped, falling to the ground. It was the rose. It must have fallen out of his pocket. She picked it up and dragged herself to her feet. The petals were soft. She ran her fingers over them, tearing them off one by one. A faint buzzing appeared from the stairs above her and she stopped. A swarm of thousands upon thousands of bees flew towards her. Nova gasped, tripping over her feet as she tried to run. Her feet slipped out from under her and she fell, tumbling down the stairs, landing in a heap at the bottom. The bees swarmed around her, landing on her skin, her dress, the walls and stairs around her.

“Nova? What are you doing?” Honey stood at the top of the stairs, Leroy in the shadows behind her. 

Nova’s body ached and her mind was racing, thinking of an excuse as to why she would be racing up the tower instead of fighting the Renegades. 

“Ace sent me to check on him, to make sure the magic was enough, so he doesn’t wake up.”

Honey’s eyes narrowed. “Ace said that no one is to see him, especially not you.”

Nova’s heart was racing. She couldn’t move, for fear of angering the bees and wasps settled on her. 

“Ace trusts me. I just need to send a little more of my power through him, and we should be all set for what comes next.” 

“Oh, darling, I know that Ace trusts you. But he’s not the one you need to convince.” She smirked, her voice sickeningly sweet. “I am.” 

“Queen Bee, what are you doing? Nightmare is on our side. She’s the one who brought the prince here in the first place. None of this would be happening without her. She’s brought us closer to the Renegades than anyone ever has.” 

“She’s gone and fallen in love with the prince. Haven’t you,  _ Nightmare _ ? Why else would you still be wearing that dress? Did he twirl you around the dance floor in his big, strong arms, whispering in your ear and smiling?” She sneered. “Pathetic. Do you really think he’ll want  _ you _ ? You are nothing. No parents, no money,  _ nothing.  _ It doesn’t even matter that you basically gave him up to die, because even if you were on the same side,  _ he still wouldn’t want you _ .” 

Angry buzzing filled the stairwell once more as the bees shifted, thousands of small, glittery wings quivering with anticipation. 

Something pierced the skin on her arm and she flinched. She glared up at Honey, whose eyes were filled with malice as she stared, pitiless, down at Nova. Her eyes narrowed, and more stingers pierced her skin. Nova cried out, and as she flinched, most of the insects took flight, swarming around her, stinging her as she tried to run. She fell to the floor again, curled into the smallest ball she could, her skirt fanned out around her. Her eyes filled with tears and through her blurry vision she spotted Honey’s bare ankle within reach. She reached out, fishing blindly in the air for any contact with her skin, but Honey only laughed, cold and amused, and brought her foot down on Nova’s fingers. 

Nova screamed, the venom from the stingers and her aching fingers almost too much. 

A dull thud rang out, and the stings stopped. Nova looked up to find Leroy, a brick in his hand, staring down at Honey’s unconscious body. 

“She went too far.” He held out a hand to Nova, pulling her up as she grabbed it. She hissed at the pressure on the red welts covering her skin. Leroy’s eyes narrowed as he examined her face. 

“Nightmare, you’re not going to-” Nova cut him off, sending her power where their hands touched and he slumped to the floor beside Honey. 

Nova took a shaky breath. Her entire body ached, and she knew that she didn’t have long before the venom overtook her. One hand on the stair rail, she hauled herself up the stairs, her entire body screaming in protest. She counted the steps and focused on her breaths, anything to forget the pain. She collapsed against the door at the top of the stairs, letting her body weight push it open. 

“Hello,  _ Nightmare. _ ” A deep voice emerged from the shadows, accompanied by a glint of metal and a chill that swept through Nova’s bones. She shivered, stepping back against the wall, letting it support her. 

“Why are you here, Phobia? The fight is down there.” 

“I should ask you the same question. No one, not even you, is meant to be near him.” He waved his scythe towards Adrian. Her heart plummeted when she saw him. He was sprawled awkwardly over a stone slab, his wrists tied. 

“You’ve failed, Nightmare. You brought us this far, and you betray us now? We have no need for you. The Renegades will be dead by dawn, the Prince with them. Although, I doubt you’ll last that long. Are you ready to join your parents? I doubt they’ll be happy to see what you became. They never did like us.” 

He emerged from the shadows, his scythe pointed at her. Something fluttered behind him, a flash of orange in the otherwise gray room. Danna emerged behind Phobia, a sword gleaming in her hands. She brought it down on his head, slicing from head to toe. Phobia only growled, forgetting Nova as he morphed into a flock of birds. Danna ran down the stairs, Phobia in pursuit.

Nova collapsed. Her body was on fire. Her fingers were numb, her movement slow, but she dragged herself towards Adrian, her hand outstretched. She’d never tried to wake someone up who she had cursed, but she had to try. She pulled herself up beside him, shaking his shoulder gently at first, and when he didn’t stir, she shook him with as much strength as she could muster. 

Remembering the fairy tales mamá had told her as a child, she leaned down. She felt guilty, stealing a kiss from him like this, but she didn’t know what else to do. She brushed her lips against his ever so slightly, the kiss lasting only a fraction of a second. She collapsed to the ground beside him, her legs unable to support her body any longer. Although she was awake, her brain was growing fuzzier by the second and she was unable to move, her ballgown fanned out around her, the glittery fabric covered in blood and dirt. 


	11. Chapter 11

Adrian was exhausted. The last thing he remembered was Nova. Her lips against his, his hands in her hair, her breath hot against his mouth. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned, shaking away his horrible nightmares. He’d only encountered Phobia once before, but ever since they first met he had plagued Adrian in his nightmares. 

Adrian blinked away the final traces of sleep and began to take in his surroundings. Stars glittered in the night sky through the large windows of the domed room. He figured he was probably in a church or some other old building. Clanging echoed from down below and he strained to hear the faint noise. Pushing himself off the table, he tripped over a figure sprawled on the floor. 

Nova. 

Picking himself off the floor, he immediately knelt beside her, shaking her gently. Her skin was covered in welts and scratches, her skin deathly pale and glistening with a thin layer of sweat. 

“Nova?” 

Her eyelids twitched, and he breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive. 

“Hey. Nova?” He shook her again, a little harder. This time her eyes opened all the way, and she stared up at him, blinking in confusion. 

“Adrian?” 

He helped her sit up and she hissed in pain, her eyes filling with tears. Adrian reached into his jacket for his pen. “Where does it hurt?” 

She looked down at her dress, her shaky hands feeling the fabric. “Everywhere.” 

He took her hand and she whimpered. Offering a sympathetic smile, he drew a droplet above one of the stings, pulling it from her skin and gently rubbing it in. She sighed as the salve soaked into her skin, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. 

They sat in silence as Adrian slowly made his way through all the welts on her hands and arms, pausing when the last one was cleaned and bandaged. Nova started to shrug her dress from her shoulders and Adrian looked away, shrugging off his jacket and offering it to her to cover herself as he tended to the stings on her back and stomach. With every bandage, a little bit of her pain disappeared, until it was no longer a sharp, stabbing pain, only a small ache. 

They had stayed silent the entire time, and only when Nova’s dress returned to her shoulders and Adrian draped his jacket over her did they speak. 

“What happened?” Adrian asked, his voice cracking. 

Nova started to tremble, tears filling her eyes once more. “It’s all my fault. Everything is my fault. I was a spy. I infiltrated the castle to kill you, Adrian. I’m Nightmare.” She started to cry, and although Adrian was still processing what she had just said, the sight of her tears immediately made him want to wrap her in a hug and never let go. He did, and she froze for only a moment before melting into his embrace. 

“I’m so sorry, Adrian. I promise you it was real, I wasn’t just using you. I came to save you and stop this.” Her breathing was ragged and her words muffled as she whispered into his shirt. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Are you okay?” 

At that, Nova let out a loud sob and buried her head against his chest. He held her close, stroking her hair and kissing her head, waiting patiently while she sobbed in his arms. 

Another crash sounded below them, echoing loudly, followed by two more, getting closer and closer. Nova pushed herself out of Adrian’s arms and to her feet, her knees momentarily buckling. She leaned against the stone slab Adrian had been tied up on, her eyes squeezed shut as she caught her breath. “We need to go.”

“Nova, what’s going on? Why are we here?” 

Nova grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the room, her tattered skirts hanging around her ankles. “Ace will kill you if he sees you. He’s my uncle, I betrayed him, Honey tried to kill me, Leroy knocked her out, Danna threatened to kill me if anything happens to you, and we need to get out of here before they come back and kill both of us. The Renegades are here for you and they’ll be destroyed without you. We can talk about this later, I know it’s a lot, but we need to go.  _ Now. _ ” 

Adrian stopped, mouth gaping. “Nova.” 

A loud bang rang out, right below them. Nova shoved Adrian down the stairs, stumbling after him. They went through the first door they saw, to an empty passageway that was completely in shambles. Chunks of rocks littered the ground, the ceiling partially caved in in places. The floor shook as they ran, Nova constantly checking behind them to ensure that they weren’t followed. 

“Nova.” 

He pulled her back, right as they were about to reenter the main room. It was silent, and Nova couldn’t see anyone from the doorway, but it was dark and there was likely more than one Anarchist lurking in the shadows. 

“Adrian, we have to fight. Ace, he’s too powerful. They need everyone they can get and without us, without me, I don’t know if we can win.” She was waving her hands frantically, the pain forgotten for the time being. 

“I’m the Sentinel.” 

She stopped, staying completely still for a moment, staring at him in shock, before slowly taking a breath and sighing. “Fair enough. I guess we need everything we’ve got.” 

“You’re not mad?” He rubbed the back of his neck, offering her a small smile. 

“I’m a supervillain. I brought you here to die. I feel like one of those things is a little more severe.” Although the Sentinel had once consumed her every thought, Adrian had slowly taken over, especially in the days leading up to the Gala. 

“Adrian, I’m so sorry, I-” 

He shook his head, gently grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers together. “You’re a good person, Nova. Once this is all over I think you’ll begin to see that.”   
“Adrian, you can’t even imagine all the things I’ve done. I can’t even count the number of people that will never be seen again, all because I didn’t stop the Anarchists.” She looked up at Adrian, her eyes full of remorse, and his heart broke. 

“Hey, hey. It’s not your fault.” She started to speak but he continued before she could interrupt. “I need you to focus on me, okay? Everything will be all over soon and we can talk. But for right now, we need to focus on winning. That’s all that matters.” 

She nodded, taking another deep breath. A scream pierced through the air and Nova flinched. Adrian pulled her closer, their fingers still laced together. He let go of her hand, cupping her face and forcing her to look into his eyes. “Nova, I really like you. I think you’re amazing and beautiful, and the only girl in the world for me. My opinion of you hasn’t changed, except I may respect you even more now.” His gaze flickered to her mouth and Nova licked her lips, her tired eyes still locked on his. Slowly, she leaned up, pressing her lips to his as gently as she could. Her arms wound around his neck, pulling him as close as she possibly could, and Adrian’s hands found their place on her waist and in her hair. His fingers tugged gently at her hair as they kissed. 

After a few moments they pulled apart, foreheads pressed together as they stared into each other’s eyes. They were both breathing heavily although the kiss had been short.

“Nova, I think-  
“Well, well, well,” A voice called out. “If it isn’t the false ruler.” Ace stood behind them, framed in the doorway. His body was covered in small scrapes, his uniform torn in places, but he was very much alive. 

“Ace Anarchy.” 

“I was  _ hoping _ that my niece had taken care of you, but it appears that I was mistaken.” He raised his hand, and a chunk of marble flew at Nova. She stumbled to the side, almost tripping over her dress as she dodged. Adrian tore open the top buttons of his tattered dress shirt, pulling down the zipper tattoo on his sternum. The Sentinel’s suit engulfed him and he ran at Ace, flames erupting from his hand. With one wave of his hand, Ace sent Adrian flying into the wall. Nova screamed as Adrian crumpled to the floor, fracture lines spreading out from the point of impact. Nova tried to run to him but an invisible force slammed her into the wall, the broken marble stabbing at her back as Ace’s telekinesis pushed her against the wall. 

“So, you betrayed us. You betrayed your family, for the very people who failed to protect yours all those years ago.” He strutted closer to Adrian, and Nova struggled against the invisible forces, determined that nothing would happen to Adrian. Ace leaned down, yanking the helmet from Adrian’s head and tossing it away. Ace’s hold on Nova loosened as Adrian rose up, under his control, back pressed against the wall. He started to choke as Ace smiled maliciously, hand extended. 

“Ace,  _ stop!”  _ Nova shrieked. She ran towards them, but Ace stopped her, both hands outstretched now. She struggled against his hold as tears formed in her eyes, every one of Adrian’s desperate gasps for air like a knife embedded in her skin. “Stop.” She whimpered, starting to shake as she watched Adrian struggle. Her tears began to fall and she screamed in desperation, pushing against Ace’s will as hard as she could. 

Ace was barely focused on her anymore, only watching Adrian with glee as he choked. His hold on Nova was still strong, but she was able to take a small step forwards. And another. She slowly made her way towards Ace, one tiny step at a time until she could almost reach out and touch him. 

A blast echoed throughout the chamber adjacent to them and dust rained from the ceiling. A low rumble shook the floor and small pieces of rock started to fall on them. A loud crack sounded from above them and the ceiling fell. Ace lost control of Nova and Adrian and Nova scrambled towards the wall as Adrian crumpled to the floor once again. Rocks rained down on them, and Nova pressed herself against the wall, desperate to avoid them. Ace stood still in the center of the room, prepared to take control of them once again, but another large crack sounded and a section of the ceiling fell and Ace was gone. He disappeared under the elaborately painted stone. Nova gasped in horror, staring at the spot where Ace had stood, moments before.

“He’s… gone.” Her whisper was swallowed by a loud creak and a series of crashes that shook the foundations of the cathedral. Nova ran into the main room to see the wall Ace had built collapse, dust clouding the air. Adrian stumbled up behind her, rubbing his bruised neck with one hand and reaching for her hand with the other. Their fingers laced together and he pulled her close to him as she stumbled away from Ace’s body. 

“We won, Nova. It’s over.” He wrapped his arms around her and they stumbled out into the main room. They were met with a crowd of confused faces, and more were climbing over the remains of the wall. Ruby, Oscar, and Danna ran to them, Ruby and Oscar throwing their arms around Adrian and Danna slowly walking up to Nova. 

“Are you okay?” She whispered, sympathy apparent on her dirt-stained face. 

Nova nodded her head slowly, not looking at Danna, instead staring off into space, seeing nothing.

“Nova?” 

Her breathing was heavy as she blinked a few times and started to take in her surroundings. The ruins, the tired Renegades, the distinct lack of Anarchists. She assumed that they had fled the moment the wall started to cave in, and she didn’t blame them. They knew that Ace was gone. And she didn’t care. As long as they stayed far, far away from her she did not care. 

A pair of arms wrapped around her. Ruby and Oscar. They didn’t say anything for a moment, waiting for Nova to react. She offered them a small smile, wrapping her arms around them in return.  “I’m so sorry,” She whispered. 

Danna and Adrian joined the embrace, and they all stood there for what seemed like forever, waiting for whatever was to come next. 

“Adrian? Adrian!” Desperate shouts echoed throughout the hall and Adrian removed himself from their arms, turning towards the voices. 

“Adrian, thank the skies you’re alive.” The Captain hugged him fiercely, and after a moment Adrian returned the embrace. 

“Is everyone else okay?” Adrian asked. The Captain nodded, gesturing behind them to a crowd of battered but very much alive Renegades. 

“What happened, Adrian?” 

Adrian opened his mouth to answer, but Nova stepped in front of him. 

“It’s all my fault.” 

Adrian reached for her hand. “Nova, you don’t have to-”

“I’m Nightmare.” A series of gasps erupted from the crowd of Renegades, followed by angry muttering and the metallic ring of weapons being drawn. Adrian waved them down, but most of the weapons stayed drawn, glinting in the dim light of dawn. “Ace Anarchy is-was- my uncle.” She drew a shaky breath, ignoring the images flashing through her mind. “I’ve hated the Renegades since I was six, when they failed to protect my family after my father went to them, begging for help. My parents and sister were murdered in front of me, and the only person that came was Ace. He raised me, trained me, and when the time was right, sent me out into the world to take down the Renegades. I joined your ranks as a spy, waiting for the time to strike. They had poisoned me against not only the Renegades but also Adrian. I was told that he was exactly like them,” She said, gesturing at the Council. Nova took a deep breath, moving closer to Adrian as she continued. “Power-hungry, controlling, and greedy.” Cries of outrage sounded from the crowd, but they died down quickly as Nova continued, shouting over them. “But Adrian isn’t like them. He isn’t like you,” She said. “He’s kind and selfless and actually cares, cares more than they ever will. The only reason that your organization is still standing is because Adrian changed my mind. My mission was to kidnap him, leaving the Renegades in shambles, leading the Council to their death and paving the way for my Uncle to regain his throne.” She shuddered, remembering all of Ace’s threatening speeches as they made their plans. “I went to save Adrian. We escaped and fought Ace Anarchy, who is now dead. The other Anarchists have most likely fled. It’s all over.” She paused, pointing to the sunrise. “And, it’s daybreak. Your Prince is of age, and ready to reclaim his throne.” She offered Adrian a wobbly curtsy, her body still aching from the events of the day. “I believe in you,” She whispered after standing back up and returning to his side. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. 

The Captain, still glaring at Nova, offered his hand to Adrian. “I wish you luck, Your Majesty. We’re always here for you if you need any help.” Nova scoffed at their last grab for power. 

Adrian smiled, shaking his hand. “Thanks, but I’ve got more than enough help already.” He gestured to his friends, and Captain Chromium scowled, but stayed silent. The Council turned away, leading the rest of the Renegades out of the ruined cathedral and back towards the city. 

Adrian turned to her, taking both her hands in his and pulling her away from the few people that remained. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, concern written all over his face. 

“I think I’m as good as I can be, given the circumstances. They all hate me, Adrian. No matter what you say, they’re not going to be okay with me hanging around.”

“Who cares what they think,” He said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “As long as you’re with me, they can’t do anything.” 

She nodded, still skeptical. 

“Nova, I really like you. I want you to stay, and I will do anything to make sure that you are safe when you’re with me.” He kissed her forehead, his lips warm against her skin. “Please, Nova. Stay with me. Stay with us.” Adrian gestured to the rest of their team, who was watching them. Danna smiled at her and Ruby offered her a small wave. Oscar gave her a thumbs up and Nova gave them a small smile. 

“We all want you here, Nova. Fuck what anyone else thinks. I want you here.” He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, oblivious to everything around her. 

He pulled away after a few seconds, pressing his forehead against hers and looking at her so tenderly that Nova could have melted on the spot. “Please stay, Nova.” 

“Okay,” she whispered. He smiled, and took her hand, leading her back to their friends. Danna grabbed her other hand, Ruby taking Danna’s hand, and Oscar taking Adrian’s other hand. They walked in a line out of the cathedral and back towards the city. Towards their new life. 

Nova paused just outside the Cathedral. Her home for so long. She could hear the echoes of her life there. Laughing with Winston as he put on shows for her. Experimenting with Leroy, while Honey scoffed in the doorway, waiting for her to be done so that she could drag Nova off to teach her the proper ways of a young lady. Battle training with Ace. The long nights spent alone on the roof, watching the stars and dreaming of a different life. The life she would have had if not for the Renegades. She looked back, back towards her old room. She could have sworn that she saw a shadow in the window and a gleam of metal, but she ignored it. That was behind her. 

She turned back, jogging a couple of steps to catch up with Adrian. 

“Everything okay?” He asked, taking her hand again. 

“Just saying goodbye,” She responded. 

She didn’t look back. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is not the ending that this au deserves, and i apologize for that. i planned out this entire story, except for how i was going to end it. i'm not good with endings, least of all happy ones, but i felt that for once they deserved one, so i did my best. i have so many fic ideas for 2021, as well as another series planned, and i felt the need to end this one before i started anything new. thank you to everyone who read this, and i'm sorry


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